Article
Soil Science
Marie Spohn, Bjorn Berg
Summary: During the initial stages of leaf and needle litter decomposition, microorganisms face nitrogen and phosphorus scarcity. The aim of the study was to explore the import and release of nutrients into and from decomposing Norway spruce and Scots pine needle litter. The results show that nutrient import into decomposing plant litter is a quantitatively important process in temperate and boreal forests, alleviating stoichiometric imbalance and contributing to microbial nutrient acquisition.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Marine Fernandez, Antoine Vernay, Ludovic Henneron, Larissa Adamik, Philippe Malagoli, Philippe Balandier
Summary: The nitrogen economics of plants are not solely determined by functional traits, but also influenced by symbionts and decomposers. Plant responses and interactions in complex nitrogen availability environments are crucial for their survival. Further research is needed to fully understand plant nitrogen economics and resource economics in plant communities.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Alexander Polussa, Javier Gonzalez-Rivero, Nicholas Fields, Fiona Jevon, Stephen A. Wood, William R. Wieder, Mark A. Bradford
Summary: Climatic history can shape soil microbial community functioning and affect rates of ecosystem processes like organic matter decomposition. This study found that differences in soil microclimate can lead to varying decomposition rates, with significant functional differences observed between sites and within the same site. The results suggest that local-scale differences in soil moisture microclimate can influence microbial functional legacies.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Enkhmaa Erdenebileg, Congwen Wang, Wanying Yu, Xuehua Ye, Xu Pan, Zhenying Huang, Guofang Liu, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen
Summary: The study investigated the carbon and nitrogen dynamics of leaf and root litters of different qualities in different positions, revealing the influence of plant functional types on decomposition rates and C:N ratios.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Yunchao Luo, Lin Wang, Tingting Cao, Weihua He, Shangxian Lu, Fei Li, Zhenwei Zhang, Tong Chang, Xingjun Tian
Summary: This study investigates the role of chemical defence substances in plant tissue on soil biological processes. The results show that these substances can significantly affect litter decomposition and soil enzyme activity. However, their effects vary depending on the plant species and soil type.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Antoine Lecerf, Aurelie Cebron, Franck Gilbert, Michael Danger, Helene Roussel, Florence Maunoury-Danger
Summary: This study utilized litter decomposition rate as an indicator of soil contamination impacts, revealing idiosyncratic responses to soil contamination. The negative relationship between detritivores and microbes in response to soil contamination suggests that compensatory dynamics in soil communities are crucial for ecosystem stability.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Enrique Valencia, Thomas Galland, Carlos P. Carmona, Marta Goberna, Lars Gotzenberger, Jan Leps, Miguel Verdu, Petr Macek, Francesco de Bello
Summary: This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity on multiple ecosystem functions. The results show that different dimensions of plant functional structure parameters have strong direct effects on plant-related ecosystem functions, while fertilization has indirect effects on soil microbial activity and other variables.
Article
Ecology
Malo Y. Bourget, Nicolas Fanin, Nathalie Fromin, Stephan Hattenschwiler, Catherine Roumet, Ammar Shihan, Raoul Huys, Marie Sauvadet, Gregoire T. Freschet
Summary: This study reveals that litter chemistry can influence the catabolic capacities of soil microbial communities, especially in the early stages of litter decomposition. The chemical traits of litter, such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, and lignin, are related to the total catabolic activity and specific catabolic capacities of microbial communities.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Rong Zhao, Yu Zhu, Zijun Mao, Weiping Gu, Hongguang Zhang, Fuqiang Long, Tao Sun
Summary: Decomposition of plant roots and their related fungal mutualists plays a crucial role in ecosystem material cycles. Fine roots, which are the main source of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, decompose at different rates depending on the types of mycorrhizal fungi. In this study, the decomposition of fine roots in different mycorrhizal species was investigated in a temperate forest. Results showed that decomposition was faster among arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) species compared to ectomycorrhizal (EM) species. Initial aluminum and manganese concentrations were found to be the best predictors for fine root decomposition, along with other traits such as cellulose concentration, carbon:nitrogen ratio, and lignin:N ratio for AM species, and phosphorus, calcium, and non-structural carbohydrate concentrations for EM species. The initial concentrations of sodium, iron, non-structural carbohydrates, cellulose, and hemicellulose were also important predictors of fine root decomposition across the studied tree species.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yan Ding, Dongqi Wang, Guanghui Zhao, Shu Chen, Taihu Sun, Hechen Sun, Chenyang Wu, Yizhe Li, Zhongjie Yu, Yu Li, Zhenlou Chen
Summary: Plant litter input is a crucial factor in the turnover of soil/sediment organic carbon (SOC). This study investigated the effects of leaf litter and stem litter input on SOC dynamics using the 13C isotope technique. It was found that both leaf and stem litter input facilitated SOC accumulation, with leaf litter having a higher contribution. However, leaf litter input also promoted SOC mineralization more than stem litter input. Overall, litter input led to a net increase in SOC accumulation but accelerated the loss of native SOC.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jiayu Shi, Jirui Gong, Taoge-tao Baoyin, Qinpu Luo, Zhanwei Zhai, Chenchen Zhu, Bo Yang, Biao Wang, Zihe Zhang, Xiaobing Li
Summary: This study investigated the effects of phosphorus addition on soil respiration in a temperate grassland in Inner Mongolia, northern China. The results showed that phosphorus addition increased soil respiration and heterotrophic respiration, promoting litter decomposition and soil enzyme activities. However, excessive phosphorus fertilizer reduced autotrophic respiration, further impacting the carbon cycle of the ecosystem.
Article
Plant Sciences
Bi Zheng Tan, Nigel D. Swarts, Dugald C. Close
Summary: This study examined the decomposition dynamics of apple plant residue and the uptake of residue-derived nitrogen (NDfR) in apple trees. The results showed that leaf residue released more NDfR compared to branch residue, but the total NDfR uptake by apple trees was not significantly different between leaf and branch residue. Despite differences in decomposition dynamics, both residue types provide a similar amount of nitrogen for plant uptake in the short term.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Chengfu Zhang, Qingxia Zhao, Yinmei Cai, Tao Zhang, Limin Zhang, Tengbing He
Summary: Variations in aboveground litter input caused by global changes significantly alter soil N cycling in forest ecosystems. This study quantified the responses of soil N transformation rates to litter manipulation in a Pinus massoniana plantation, and revealed the effect of root exudation on soil N transformations. Litter removal and addition treatments had little impact on soil C and N concentrations, microbial biomass, soil enzyme activity, and net N mineralization rates, but increased net N nitrification rates. Additionally, litter removal significantly decreased root C exudation rates, while litter addition had no significant effects on root C exudation rates. The study highlights the importance of root exudates in regulating underground N biochemical processes and provides new evidence for understanding the influence of litter inputs on soil N cycling.
Article
Agronomy
Shaqian Liu, Rui Yang, Xudong Peng, Chunlan Hou, Juebing Ma, Jiarui Guo
Summary: Plant litter decomposition and its effect on soil nutrients are important for the material cycle in ecological tea gardens. The study found that the litter decomposition of Betula luminifera has a positive effect on soil nutrient content. Planting Betula luminifera in ecological tea gardens can increase nutrient return capacity, maintain soil fertility, and promote the ecological development of tea gardens.
Article
Ecology
Qingxu Ma, Yakov Kuzyakov, Wankun Pan, Sheng Tang, David R. Chadwick, Yuan Wen, Paul W. Hill, Andy Macdonald, Tida Ge, Linlin Si, Lianghuan Wu, Davey L. Jones
Summary: Global plant sulphur deficiency is on the rise due to reduced application of sulphate-based fertilisers and continuous S withdrawal during harvest. Research using quad labeling of S-containing amino acids in soil showed that soil microorganisms quickly absorbed and released sulfur compounds, with the release and reutilization being determined by amino acid structure. Short-term organic sulfur utilization in soil is determined by amino acid structure, while long-term utilization is controlled by microbial stoichiometry.
Article
Ecology
Narendra Nelli, Diana Francis, Ricardo Fonseca, Olivier Masson, Mamadou Sow, Emmanuel Bosc
Summary: This study investigates the changes in the atmospheric electric field (Ez) during foggy conditions in the hyperarid region of the United Arab Emirates. The results show that as fog persists, Ez becomes more variable due to the absorption and redistribution of charges by the fog, which alters the ion balance and affects electrical conductivity in the atmosphere.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Ezra Hadad, Amir Balaban, Jakub Z. Kosicki, Reuven Yosef
Summary: This study investigated whether the prey of striped hyenas has adapted to the change in the natural environment caused by human activities, particularly artificial light at night (ALAN). The results showed that ALAN had no impact on the diet or den distribution of the hyenas in central Israel. The study also found that domestic animals were the most common prey, and there were also some vegetative species in their diet. Overall, the feeding behavior of striped hyenas is influenced by geographical region, habitat, and human activities.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Rahim Najafi Tireh Shabankareh, Pardis Ziaee, Mohammad Javad Abedini
Summary: This study evaluated the IMERG satellite-based precipitation product in the Fars province of Iran using daily rain gauges as reference data. The results showed that the product tends to overestimate light rainfall and underestimate heavy rainfall, with the best performance in the 40-80 mm/day range. The accuracy of the product varies by month and is less biased in months with milder temperatures. Additionally, there was a higher correlation in mid-elevated areas, positive bias in low-elevated areas, and negative bias in high-elevated areas. Longer time scales showed considerable improvement in the IMERG estimates.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2024)
